Abstract

MIQUELI RODRIGUEZ, Maritza; LOPEZ HERNANDEZ, Silvia M  and  RODRIGUEZ MASO, Susana. Low vision and population aging. Rev Cubana Oftalmol [online]. 2016, vol.29, n.3, pp. 492-501. ISSN 1561-3070.

Population aging is a topic of world concern because of its link to several human diseases that hinder the quality of life and are mostly degenerative. A literature review was made to collect updated information about the causes of low vision and population aging. Cuba holds the 4th place among the most aged countries in Latin America. The physiological changes and the visual deterioration increase with the aging, so the over 60 years-old elderly are eight times more likely to suffer some visual damage than the young people. Therefore, it is important to timely diagnose and treat diseases to avoid their progression and visual disabilities. Glaucoma represents the second cause of blindness worldwide and the first cause of irreversible blindness in Latin America. Likewise, it is one of the first causes of low vision in Cuba, hence detection programs should be developed to continue raising the life expectancies and providing our population with satisfactory longevity. Infomed, particularly the Virtual Library of Health, was used for this review.

Keywords : low vision; aging; blindness; prevalence; disability.

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